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Re: URIs harmful

• To: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
• Subject: Re: URIs harmful
• From: Uche Ogbuji <uche.ogbuji@f...>
• Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 15:29:38 -0600
• Cc: joshuaa@m... (Joshua Allen), bill.dehora@p..., tbray@t... (Tim Bray), xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: Message from John Cowan <jcowan@r...> of "Thu, 25 Jul 2002 16:29:53 EDT." <200207252042.QAA18228@m...>
• Sender: uche.ogbuji@f...

> Joshua Allen scripsit:
> 
> > Not really.  The HTTP-accessible *representations* that people might
> > want, could include representations of:
> > 
> > * a view through a webcam belonging to a gyros vendor on the beach
> > * a map of the beach, highlighting particular facilities
> > * opinions and reviews about the beach
> > * recent news about the beach
> > * weather reports from the beach
> > 
> > None of those ARE the beach, they are simply things ABOUT the beach.
> > They all deserve to have their own identity.
> 
> This is where Topic Maps, IMHO, get it right.  A topic map requires that
> whenever you point to a resource, you specify whether you are pointing to
> the *resource itself* (thus "http://www.w3.org", considered as a reference
> to a resource, means "the home page of the W3C"), or you are using the
> resource to designate something else by convention, a so-called "subject
> indicating reference" (thus "http://www.w3.org", considered as a subject
> indicator, might mean "the W3C").

This is largely a matter of personal preference.  It is *precisely* the reason 
I think Topic Maps gets it wrong.  I don't think some global abstraction of a 
"public subject" is any more a trueness of the W3C than their Web page is.  
Therefore, TM introduces a whole level of indirection and complexity for no 
gain whatsoever, IMO.

I've gone back and forth endlessly with TM folks on this and I've concluded 
that liking the subject/occurrence/etc. quiddities is a matter of taste.


-- 
Uche Ogbuji                                    Fourthought, Inc.
http://uche.ogbuji.net    http://4Suite.org    http://fourthought.com
Track chair, XML/Web Services One Boston: http://www.xmlconference.com/
Basic XML and RDF techniques for knowledge management, Part 7 - 
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-think12.html
Keeping pace with James Clark - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/libra
ry/x-jclark.html
Python and XML development using 4Suite, Part 3: 4RDF - 
http://www-105.ibm.com/developerworks/education.nsf/xml-onlinecourse-bytitle/8A
1EA5A2CF4621C386256BBB006F4CEC

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